KICK IN THE HEAD: Matt Dodge (above) yesterday tries to brush aside the calamitous punt, which left him flailing on the ground as the Eagles' DeSean Jackson went in for the winning touchdown Sunday against the Giants. Photo: Robert Kalfus

(Getty Images)

KICK IN THE HEAD:Matt Dodge (above) yesterday tries to brush aside the calamitous punt, which left him flailing on the ground as the Eagles’ DeSean Jackson went in for the winning touchdown Sunday against the Giants. (GETTY IMAGES)

Talk about muffed punts.

First, Giants punter Matt Dodge botched the kick Sunday that sent Big Blue to a disastrous loss to the Eagles, and then fuming New York fans took to Twitter to rip him — only they got the wrong Matt Dodge.

Instead of tackling the NFL player Dodge, 23, of Morehead City, NC, with their Web rants, misguided fans sent seething tweets to Matt Dodge, 23, a newspaper reporter from Portland, Maine.

“You need to go into witness protection . . . NOOOOW!!!!” read one nasty post sent to the Matt Dodge of Maine.

The reporter for the Portland Daily Sun later posted a lengthy open letter to the Giants player.

“While I don’t have the whole Greater New York City area calling for my head, leg and slippery fingers on a plate, as a journalist, I can sort of sympathize with the rigors of the special teams lifestyle — we are largely ignored when the job goes right, but make one mistake and they’re all over you,” he said.

Meanwhile, the other Matt Dodge yesterday appeared downcast after losing Sunday’s 38-31 game against Philadelphia but seemed to be moving on.

“I know I messed up,” the Giants punter said. “But it’s not like I’m on suicide watch or anything like that.”

He said he was grateful to keep his job — at least for now.

“I’m still here, obviously. I came in, and my locker was still here. So that was good. I’m a confident guy, regardless. Football doesn’t define me. I know it’s my job and everything, and I didn’t get it done,” the punter said.

The player’s parents came to New York to see the game, and afterward, they all still had a Christmas celebration together — although it was decidedly low-key, Dodge said.

“I had family here, loving on me,” he said. “And I actually had my pastor from back home here. So it was good. I had a lot of support.”